Big Wayner's BBQ Bloghttp://www.bigwaynerbbq.com Thoughts, Musings, and Tidbits from the World of BBQMon, 05 Dec 2016 14:00:59 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.42016 Christmas Blowout Giveaway!http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/12/05/2016-christmas-blowout-giveaway/ http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/12/05/2016-christmas-blowout-giveaway/#commentsMon, 05 Dec 2016 14:00:59 +0000http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/?p=3244Continue reading →]]>I have to say that this year really has been quite the year. We’ve started our second year of living the RV life, and so far so good. I can’t say it’s been without its challenges…

I judged at 2 great KCBS contests in Montana — the Montana BBQ Cookoff in Absarokee and the Carnivores Classic in Missoula. I highly recommend both of these contests and hope to be back to both in 2017.

I scratched another item off my BBQ bucket list — judging at the American Royal! Originally I was only accepted for the Open and the Open Sides, but I was fortunate to also get in to the Invitational!

We made our trek back east and south for the winter. If anyone is interested in seeing how we went, here’s a map.

Judging at the American Royal was nothing short of awesome! There are always some fun stories that come out of it. Also amazing was Operation BBQ Relief’s party at the Royal, PigAPalooza! I was able to get around and get lots of pictures, and here they are!

But anyway, enough of the reminiscing on this summer. Let’s get right to the point. I’m giving away a bunch of my favorite BBQ things for the holiday season!! Here are the list of items one lucky person will win:

A bottle of Ubon’s Bloody Mary mix. Starting as a concept developed by pitmaster Garry Roark over 20 years ago, this Bloody Mary mix combines the traditional Bloody Mary flavors with Ubon’s BBQ sauce to make your tastebuds dance.

Two packs of Mojobricks Bar-B-Qubes. An eco-friendly compressed wood product that gives you a beautiful wood smoke flavor.

And finally, a $20 Amazon gift card. Because while it’s not cold hard cash, it’s as close as you’ll get!

In addition, two other lucky people will receive a ThermoPop from ThermoWorks!

I love giving people multiple chances to win, so the widget below shows all the ways you can enter and win. And for the fine details… This contest ends on Thursday at 11:59:59pm EST and is open only to US residents. Winners have 24 hours after being notified to claim their prize, or a new winner will be chosen in his/her place Good luck!

Those who keep a close eye on me know that I like my bourbon nearly as much as I like my BBQ. In fact, my first introduction to bourbon was through Four Roses Single Barrel. What an introduction that was! So when asked to come up with a BBQ sauce recipe based on Four Roses Yellow Label bourbon, how could I refuse?

For those not familiar with the Four Roses brand, the distillery is based in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. They distill ten separate bourbons using a combination of two mash bill recipes and five different yeast strains. Their standard Yellow Label (80 proof) expression blends all ten of these distinct bourbons, while their Small Batch expressions (90 proof) blend four of the bourbons together and their Single Barrel expression (100 proof) comes from a single barrel.

Naturally, in order to conduct research on the best way to use this bourbon in a BBQ sauce, I had to do some taste testing. I found this bourbon to be a very easy and very smooth drink — no overly dominant or complex flavors. This would make a great component for an Old Fashioned cocktail — one of my favorite cocktails. To pay homage to this classic drink, I came up with a BBQ sauce recipe incorporating the elements of an Old Fashioned. Hope you enjoy!

Reduce heat so that the sauce simmers. Simmer for approximately 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for up to 30 minutes.

Once cooled, blend the sauce together in a blender.

3.5.3208

A special thanks goes to Shane Draper of Draper’s BBQ for helping me realize my madness and coming up with a viable recipe!

(Disclaimer: I was provided a bottle of Four Roses Yellow Label bourbon in return for this blog post.)

]]>http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/07/04/four-roses-ode-to-an-old-fashioned-bbq-sauce/feed/1Smokin Pigs Ash BBQ Kick Ash Saucehttp://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/05/26/smokin-pigs-ash-bbq-kick-ash-sauce/ http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/05/26/smokin-pigs-ash-bbq-kick-ash-sauce/#respondThu, 26 May 2016 15:43:37 +0000http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/?p=3227Continue reading →]]>Rub and sauce reviews seem to be fewer and further between nowadays for the blog. Let’s change that with a review of Kick Ash Sauce by Smokin Pigs Ash BBQ out of Marietta, Ohio.

Yesterday the results of the 2016 American Royal “Best Sauce on the Planet” contest were released. Kick Ash sauce placed fourth out of 106 entries in the spicy tomato-based sauce category and scored an incredible tenth place out of 450 entries! And for good reason — this is a very tasty BBQ sauce.

But before we dive in, let’s learn a little more about the man behind the BBQ…

Background Info

Henry Leimkuehler began smoking meat at home for friends and family back in 2008. He bought his first professional smoker in 2011 and met his wife, Barbara, also a food lover, at the same time. It was fate. They began competing in the KCBS (Kansas City Barbecue Society) competitions throughout the summer of 2012, where they won seven top 10’s in five of the events. Then fate intervened again. Shortly after the Leimkuehlers married in the fall of 2012, Henry got diagnosed with Stage 3 Multiple Myeloma cancer, an incurable but treatable blood cancer that affects the bones and kidneys. So for the next year, Henry battled for his life. After achieving a complete response to his daily chemotherapy, Henry worked on ideas for his dream BBQ company.

Finally, that dream came true when they purchased the Little Red Trailer in 2015. They opened Smokin Pigs Ash BBQ, LLC in June 2015 for roadside concessions and catering. After repeated requests from customers, Henry worked on his own unique BBQ sauce. “Kick Ash” was created and professionally bottled in December 2015 by Patter Fam Sauces from Wheelersburg, Ohio. Smokin Pigs Ash likes to call it “Sweet with a little heat”.

Describing the Sauce

This sauce is your classic thick tomato-based sauce. It has that consistency that people think of when they think of BBQ sauce. The sauce is not overly syrupy sweet, but it is definitely sweet, smoky, and peppery. It has that deep red color that is the staple of most classic BBQ sauces and a good feel on the tongue.

Kick Ash Sauce is a great sauce for those who may not like things super hot but want some spice in their life. Because this is a thick sweet sauce, I recommend using it as a finishing glaze rather than using it throughout the cooking process. It also works beautifully as a condiment — yes, I’m one of those guys who will dip his French fries in BBQ sauce.

How I Tested the Sauce

Let’s just say my wife and I used this sauce every chance we could! It worked great as a topping for BBQ nachos as well as a finishing sauce on hot dogs and pork chops. We liked this sauce so much that I had to scramble to get pictures before we used up all of the product.

This is a sauce worth ordering, ladies and gents! The combination of sweet, spicy, and peppery makes this one a hit! As for the future, Henry and Barbara dream of more barbecue recipes and new innovative barbecue sauces, so I’m looking forward to what they come up with next!

]]>http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/05/26/smokin-pigs-ash-bbq-kick-ash-sauce/feed/0Weber Unveils New Summit Charcoal Grill Product Linehttp://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/04/06/weber-unveils-new-summit-charcoal-grill-product-line/ http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/04/06/weber-unveils-new-summit-charcoal-grill-product-line/#commentsWed, 06 Apr 2016 15:39:20 +0000http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/?p=3216Continue reading →]]>For weeks, Weber has been hyping up a new product line. There has been much speculation around the internet as to what the new grill would be. Today, Weber revealed their new products: the Summit Charcoal Grill and the Summit Charcoal Grilling Center.

The grill, targeting the market for kamado style cookers, appears to blend the better aspects of the Smoky Mountain smoker and Weber’s classic kettle grill while adding some new elements. The cooking grate is now 24.5″ in diameter, providing 452 square inches of cooking space. Also, the cooking grate has a removable center piece that allows Weber accessories to fit in there (wok, griddle, poultry roaster, etc.). Instead of a removable lid, the lid is now hinged. The Summit charcoal grill series also comes with a gas ignition system, allowing those who primarily cook over gas to make a smoother transition over to charcoal.

Both of the offerings in the Summit charcoal grill series now feature double-walled insulation. The lid retains a top damper, while the bottom of the grill uses the One Touch system for air flow. The new addition to the One Touch system for the Summit charcoal grill series is a spot for low-and-slow cooking. That, in combination with an adjustable charcoal grate system and hinged heat diffuser plate, should allow owners to be able to swap between low and slow cooking and hot and fast grilling.

Purchasers of the Summit Charcoal Grilling Center will get a stainless steel side table that has a charcoal holder, a tool rack, and a wire rack for storage. For those who go with the Summit Charcoal Grill, their grill will sit in a wheeled nest (similar to what the kettle grills use already) that has a bottom wire rack for storage.

The suggested retail price for the Summit Charcoal Grill is $1,699. For the Summit Charcoal Grilling Center, the MSRP goes up to $2,299. If anyone has the opportunity to cook on one of these in the near future, I’d love to hear about your experience.

]]>http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/04/06/weber-unveils-new-summit-charcoal-grill-product-line/feed/5Double Smoked Ham on the Weber Jumbo Joehttp://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/03/23/double-smoked-ham-on-the-weber-jumbo-joe/ http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/03/23/double-smoked-ham-on-the-weber-jumbo-joe/#commentsWed, 23 Mar 2016 22:20:38 +0000http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/?p=3208Continue reading →]]>Recently my lovely wife picked up a small spiral sliced ham to cook for dinner. Because she’s currently in the middle of preparations for a huge show for her business, I offered to cook the ham on my Weber Jumbo Joe. At least that was the excuse I offered up — in reality, I’ve been itching to try this for quite some time. And since the ham was pre-smoked and pre-cooked, all I really need to do was to reheat it. But why just reheat it when you can smoke it again and make it a double smoked ham!?!?

The Prep

Traditional spiral sliced hams have a bit of a sweeter flavor profile, usually due to the brown sugar glaze that gets applied towards the end of cooking. To keep to this general trend, I had to go with a sweeter BBQ rub. Sure, you can concoct your own seasoning blend, but there are too many good choices out on the market to need to do that. I decided to go with a seasoning blend that is extremely popular with Big Green Egg / Kamado Joe owners: Honey Hog BBQ rub by Meat Church BBQ.

As a sweeter BBQ rub, Honey Hog BBQ rub played right into the flavor profile that I wanted. I slathered yellow mustard over the outside of the ham and liberally applied Honey Hog BBQ evenly all over the ham. After a rest in the refrigerator for an hour or 2, I pulled the ham out, sprayed the ham with vegetable oil spray, and applied a second thinner layer of Honey Hog BBQ rub. Then the ham went into the refrigerator again to rest and get cozy until cooking time.

As a side note, I originally tried applying vegetable oil to the outside of the ham for the first coating, but it did not adhere well to the ham.

Grill Setup

I can’t thank David Somerville of Quality Grill Parts for supplying me with the Weber Jumbo Joe for my journey into full-time RVer-hood. It is a piece of equipment that is often underrated. Like its larger kettle siblings, the Weber Jumbo Joe is a versatile grill. In addition to direct heat grilling, you can do low and slow smoking or indirect smoke-roasting on it that tastes just as good as food that comes off of other dedicated smokers.

I set up the Weber Jumbo Joe for indirect heat by keeping the charcoal (Royal Oak lump charcoal) to one side of the grill. The bottom damper was approximately 3/4 open, while the damper on the lid was all the way open. For the smoke element, I used a couple of small apple wood chunks plus one Competition Blend Bar-B-Qube from Mojobricks (available for purchase from Amazon).

The Cook

Since the ham was pre-cooked, all I had to do was reheat it. You’ll want to take the internal temperature of the ham to between 140 and 145 degrees. For me, my cook time was an hour and a half total. Your mileage may vary depending on the size of the ham and the temperature at which you’re cooking. If you’re cooking in the 275 degree range, estimate cook time at 15-20 minutes per pound. Higher temperatures (such as the 325 degree range) drop the cook time to about 12 minutes per pound.

With every spiral sliced ham comes that little magical packet of glaze. It’s nothing more than brown sugar and other additives to thicken it when cooked in hot water. You can choose to pitch it and make your own glaze (as most people do). For this cook, I used 1/3 of the packet of glaze mix and blend it with 2 cups of Swamp Boys Sauce that I then heated in the microwave. This gave the sauce (which is an excellent sauce, by the way) a different sweet element that suited the ham.

The first glazing occurred 30 minutes prior to the cook being done. When glazing, I made sure to get some of it in between the spiral cuts. It was a beautiful sight — a red color that looked absolutely amazing!

I applied the final glaze fifteen minutes prior to removing the ham from the grill. After a bit of a rest, the ham was ready to eat!

For my first attempt at a double smoked ham, I was very pleased! The only thing I would do differently would be to periodically rotate the ham so that one side isn’t closest to the heat for the duration of the cook. Other than that, I would totally cook this again!!

A double-smoked ham is a great and easy way to amp up that spiral sliced ham to a whole new level. Preparation is very easy, and the results are awesome! Hope you enjoyed reading!

(NOTE: The Weber Jumbo Joe was provided to me by David Somerville of QualityGrillParts.com as part of a promotional agreement. This blog post is a sponsored post as part of that arrangement. Amazon links on here are referral links that help support the blog.)

]]>http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/03/23/double-smoked-ham-on-the-weber-jumbo-joe/feed/2Five for Friday: January 15, 2016 Editionhttp://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/01/15/five-for-friday-january-15-2016-edition/ http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/01/15/five-for-friday-january-15-2016-edition/#commentsFri, 15 Jan 2016 14:15:38 +0000http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/?p=3202Continue reading →]]>We’re almost halfway through the month of January. And it’s payday for me too, so it’s naturally a great day! But here are five things you may be interested in reading to add some BBQ and grilling sunshine to your dreary winter days:

ThermoWorks is in the middle of two-week sale on their ThermoPop. It normally costs $29, but it can be purchased for $21. (NOTE: The link is an affiliate link. Purchases made through that link will go to support this blog.)

Oh yeah, and in case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the reaction when Korean women try American BBQ.

]]>http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/01/15/five-for-friday-january-15-2016-edition/feed/1Thermapen Mk4 Reviewhttp://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/01/11/thermapen-mk4-review/ http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/01/11/thermapen-mk4-review/#commentsMon, 11 Jan 2016 17:43:18 +0000http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/?p=3197Continue reading →]]>At the beginning of September, ThermoWorks announced the release of the latest member of the Thermapen family — the Thermapen Mk4. Soon thereafter I was able to acquire one for review, and I have definitely put it through its paces. Here is what I found:

Features

The Thermapen Mk4 takes the Classic Thermapen and adds some long-requested features while retaining aspects that make the Thermapen brand one of the most respected in the industry.

Auto-rotating display.

Auto-sensing backlit display that will turn on/off on request or in low light conditions.

Specifications

At an initial glance, the specs for the Thermapen Mk4 and the Classic Thermapen appear the same. However, there are some differences that should be highlighted:

While the Classic Thermapen is water-resistant, the Thermapen Mk4 uses IP66/67 enclosures, making it waterproof up to 1m submersion and waterproof against water jet sprays. If you’re interested in what the numbers mean, a good explanation can be found here.

The Thermapen Mk4 now uses one AAA battery instead of the two CR2032 batteries used in the Classic Thermapen.

The Classic Thermapen has a 10 minute auto-shutoff that can be disabled, and the Thermapen Mk4 has a configurable auto-sleep mode that ranges from 10 seconds to 3 minutes.

With the battery change, the Thermapen Mk4 touts a 3,000 hour life before the battery has to be changed (note: this battery lifespan assumes that the backlight is not being used). The Classic Thermapen can be used up to 1,500 hours before batteries need to be changed.

The probe on the Thermapen Mk4 is 0.2 inches shorter than the Classic Thermapen (4.3 inches long versus 4.5 inches).

Also as a result of the battery change, you will need a small Phillips head screwdriver to take off the battery compartment door and access the area for changing sleep mode/unit of measurement/etc. (located on the end of the Thermapen opposite the probe).

Observations

I have been using the Thermapen Mk4 since receiving the unit in September, and I am happy to say that it works as advertised. The first thing I noticed when using it is that even though the weight is the same as the Classic Thermapen, it is noticeably heavier with the the AAA battery in it. Other than that, it performs just like the Classic Thermapen. The rotating display is handy, and the backlight functionality is very useful whenever I’m cooking in the wee hours of the night.

The change of battery type should prove to be a benefit overall. In addition to providing extra running time, consumers are more familiar with the AAA battery type (even though the CR2032 can be found at most retailers).

Should I Buy It?

Do I recommend the Mk4? Absolutely! Should you buy the Mk4? It depends. With the introduction of the Mk4 at a price of $99, ThermoWorks has dropped the price of the Classic Thermapen to $79. You get the same temperature measurement performance in both models (accurate readings within one degree Fahrenheit in 3 seconds or less), so this is not an issue here. It comes down to whether or not the additional features in the Mk4 are worth the price increase.

The Thermapen Mk4 can be purchased directly from ThermoWorks by clicking here. If you’d rather purchase the Classic Thermapen, you can do so by clicking here.

(NOTE: The links to purchase the Thermapen Mk4 and Classic Thermapen are affiliate links. Purchasing through those links will help to support Big Wayner’s BBQ Blog.)

]]>http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/01/11/thermapen-mk4-review/feed/3Five for Friday: The Happy New Year Editionhttp://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/01/08/five-for-friday-the-happy-new-year-edition/ http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2016/01/08/five-for-friday-the-happy-new-year-edition/#respondFri, 08 Jan 2016 19:56:43 +0000http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/?p=3195Continue reading →]]>Happy New Year, everyone! Let’s start the new year off right by recapping some of the latest happenings in the world of BBQ and grilling!

First off, a huge congratulations to Brooke Orrison Lewis,the 2015 BBQ Person of the Year on GrillingWithRich.com. It’s hard to find someone more deserving of the honor this year than Brooke.

I hope that 2015 has been a banner year for all of you! It has definitely been an eventful one for the world of BBQ and for me personally. With 2016 just around the corner, let’s take a peek back at what 2015 brought us.

Here’s to a happy and prosperous 2016 for everyone! What moments in the world of BBQ for 2015 have stood out in your mind?

]]>http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2015/12/31/2015-the-good-the-bad-and-the-controversial/feed/0Black Friday Grilling & BBQ Deals for 2015http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2015/11/27/black-friday-grilling-bbq-deals-for-2015/ http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/2015/11/27/black-friday-grilling-bbq-deals-for-2015/#commentsFri, 27 Nov 2015 18:18:04 +0000http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com/?p=3182Continue reading →]]>Hello everyone! I hope that the Thanksgiving holidays have treated you well and that the food was as delicious as you hoped it would be. Black Friday is now upon us, and now is the time to be thinking about what to get that griller / BBQer in your family for Christmas. I’ve attempted to find all of the Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals offered up by various BBQ/grilling companies and listed them below in various formats. Let me know if I miss any!

Also, don’t forget to check out ScottRobertsWeb.com for a comprehensive list of Black Friday sales on BBQ sauces, hot sauces, and seasonings!